Remembering Our Days
by Aelyth
Summary: A forgotten promise between childhood friends resurfaces as Hinata and Naruto’s wedding draws closer. What does Sasuke have to do with it? NaruHinaSasu.
1. Prolouge

A/N: Something I thought of in Math class and I just –had- to write it down ;; Anyway, the flashback is a few days before Itachi's little rampage. Everyone is around 20 or so in present time.

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN NARUTO! (Hah, I bet you didn't see -that- coming) :P

Italics- flashback or thoughts (it'll be obvious which one)  
Normal text- present

* * *

_Flashback_

_A young boy lay on the grass, crossed his arms behind his head, and stared blankly at the glowing orange orb that painted the skies with a pastel pink. A few minutes later, another figure lay next to him, but neither showed signs of acknowledgement. Sasuke continued staring, and his eyebrows knotted together and twitched occasionally as if he was pondering something like the Origin of Man, or the purpose of his existence, or something equally cryptic._

"_Hina-chan. . ."_

"_Hmm?" Hinata sat up and looked at the young Uchiha. She tilted her head slightly, motioning for him to go on._

"_I wonder what it's like being married."_

_Hinata blinked, but Sasuke continued, "At the wedding yesterday, Izumi-chan and Kenji-niisan seemed so happy." He wasn't aware that boys his age didn't normally think about such things, but Sasuke was quite mature. Even if only a handful of people noticed it; including his best friend. (A/N: Since this is a flashback, best friend means Hinata)_

_He met her during a family visit to the Hyuuga Compound. She was so tiny then, and she would often hide behind her mother. Although she was very shy and often stuttered, Sasuke thought it was cute. He remembered telling Itachi so, but his older brother only smirked. They were shortly ushered to the yard, where the two played tricks on Itachi and teased his serious demeanor._

_They later found themselves as classmates in the Academy, and the two developed a strong friendship since then._

"_I suppose it's quite enjoyable," Hinata giggled softly. "I. . . I mean, Kenji-san really likes Izumi-chan. They've know each other for years now, and they've both proven they'd be willing to die for the other's sake. They probably would've run away if our families didn't approve of the marriage anyway. To be bound forever to someone you love. . ."_

_Sasuke nodded as he recalled the marriage of his older cousin to Hyuuga Izumi. Come to think of it, Kenji had been exceptionally giddy yesterday. He was sure Izumi was just as happy, but managed to be the more mature of the two. Sasuke gave out a low chuckle._

_End Flashback_

_

* * *

_  
Hinata tried hard to keep her eyes open, she really did. But maybe it was the dim light of the lanterns, or the tea she drank earlier, or her father's monotonous voice droning on about how much of an honor it was for the Feudal Lord of Country Something-or-Other to grace the Hyuuga compound with his presence that made her eyelids heavier every passing second. Suddenly, Hinata felt a sharp nudge from her left and turned her head to give her attacker a you-didn't-have-to-hit-me-so-hard look. Neji glared at her in return, and then nodded his head at Hanabi's direction. Hinata glanced at her sister to find her eyes half-closed and clear liquid pooling at the side of her mouth. She poked Hanabi's arm and watched in amusement as her sister bolted upright and wiped the drool off her mouth with the back of her hand.

Hinata sighed inwardly. Hyuuga formal dinners have always been like this. Whenever Hiashi or one of the guests would start a speech, the three depended on each other to keep watch whenever someone started falling asleep. They wouldn't want to dishonor the Hyuuga name, now would they?

Hiashi coughed, "Hinata, if you could please prepare more tea for our guests."

"Hai, otousan," Hinata replied as she stood up, bowed, took the teapot from the table, and soundlessly left for the kitchen.

"I'll help Hinata-sama," Neji said, eager to leave the room.

"Ah. . . that won't be necessary," said Hiashi.

"With all due respect, Hiashi-sama, it is my duty to protect her, after all."

"I doubt a few pots and pans would pose a threat. Besides, I'm quite sure Hinata is strong enough to protect herself if the need arises."

"Nevertheless, we are never certain when enemy shino-"

"Of course. That's a good point Neji-san; you may go," Hiashi said, finally giving in, and resuming his conversation with the feudal lord.

"Hai." Hanabi swore she saw Neji stick his tongue out at her before following her older sister inside the kitchen.

* * *

Hinata dropped the tea leaves into the pot and replaced the cover. She let out a bored sigh as she plopped herself onto a chair and waited for the tea to brew. _Three more months and I won't have to endure Father's speeches any longer. Thank God._ She would be married to Naruto by then, her childhood crush. 

Years of hard work has finally paid off. Hinata successfully changed herself as she was no longer the shy Hyuuga heiress. Naturally, she was still helpful and kind, but her blushes and stutters have disappeared. She established a close relationship towards Neji, and Hanabi. The three would often be found training together, which helped Hinata improve her shinobi skills and finally become Jounin. She eventually found enough courage to confess her feelings towards Naruto, who unexpectedly said that he'd known it all along. Hinata only gaped at him while he took the initiative and kissed her on the lips. Needless to say, they were later branded as Konoha's newest couple and were scheduled for marriage in 3 month's time.

The kunoichi's thoughts were interrupted when she felt a wet substance trickling down her wrist. She lifted her right hand to find a gash across her palm, and crimson liquid pooling around it. She quickly cleaned the wound and wrapped her hand with a piece of cloth, hissing slightly as she tightened the knot. Confusion overcame her while she examined the wound, trying to determine the cause. _I wasn't even holding anything that could have cut me_. Hinata looked up when she heard a clicking sound near the door.

"The tea, Hinata-sama," Neji said. He raised his eyebrows upon seeing the makeshift bandage around his cousin's hand, but didn't get a chance to ask.

"Hai." She walked back to the formal dining room, holding the teapot between her hands.

"_Hey, Hina-chan. . . what do you think if we got married?"_

Short and confusing, I know. But I promise it'll make a LOT more sense in the next chapter. Please review :D


	2. A promise

Author's Note: Chapter Two! Yay :D

Disclaimer: Not mine

* * *

_Flashback_

"_Hey, Hina-chan. . . What do you think if we got married?"_

_The question hung in the air like an echo. Sasuke immediately regretted asking, assuming that he had crossed a line neither of them were prepared for. But when he looked at his friend for a reaction, a blushing Hinata had a smile on her lips._

"_I think that'd be enjoyable, too," she managed to say. "And I'm sure it's something I won't regret." She whispered the last part._

_Sasuke semi-grinned and an idea formed in his mind. "Then, how 'bout we make a promise?"_

"_A promise?"_

"_Yea!" He looked off into the orange-pink sky once again. "Look! When we're really old and we still haven't found the one person we want to spend the rest of our lives with. You and me: we'll get married!"_

_Hinata made a choking sound, like a cross between laughter and a cough. "Well?" Sasuke looked in her eyes and raised his eyebrows. The Hyuuga heiress couldn't possibly deny that innocent face, no matter how silly or improbable his idea was._

"_Uhh . . . why not?" This would ensure they wouldn't spend the rest of their lives alone, right? Besides, this was just a promise between friends; they cared for each other, too, didn't they? And this wouldn't count as being selfish on her part if Sasuke wanted it, too, correct?_

"_Then it's settled! And. . ." Sasuke produced a kunai from the pack on his hip. He positioned the object on his hand and dragged the blade across his right palm. He then grabbed Hinata's hand. "This'll hurt a bit," he whispered._

_Hinata only nodded and the Uchiha slid the blade over her skin. She winced and bit her lip, then opened her eyes and looked at Sasuke questioningly._

"_There. Now for the promise." Sasuke grinned again. He positioned his wounded hand against hers, then said, "I, Uchiha Sasuke, promise to take Hyuuga Hinata as my wife if we haven't found the love of our life by the time we've reached . . . uhh . . . twenty."_

_Hinata thought twenty was a bit too young, but decided to brush it off when Sasuke told her it was her turn. Besides, who's to say they'll even live until that age? Didn't shinobi have shorter life spans than most people? _

_Hinata started off in a shaky whisper, but managed to complete the pact without stuttering. _

_Silence reigned over the children once again save for their occasional breathing._

"_Shouldn't we put medicine on the wound, Sasuke-kun?" said Hinata, breaking the stillness._

"_Oh, right." He watched as Hinata dug inside her pack and take out a bottle._

"_This should keep it from getting infected." Hinata opened the canister and dipped her finger in the dark green mixture. She lightly traced the medicine-laced finger across his wound, then bandaged it with a white cloth from her pack. She did the same to her own palm._

_When Itachi killed the Uchiha Clan (save for his little brother) later that week, Sasuke gradually turned into an arrogant, cold-hearted boy. The promise made that day was eventually forgotten, along with his friendship with a certain Hyuuga._

_End Flashback_

_

* * *

_

Sasuke sprinted along Konoha's border walls at incredible speed, pausing only at the assigned checkpoints. He had 30 minutes left until his shift would be over, and the Uchiha longed to curl up in his bed even for just a few hours. Needless to say, it had been a long day.

"Hey Uchiha, is your hand okay?"

He faltered and turned his head towards the speaker, another ANBU squad member. "Huh?"

"Your hand. Is it okay?"

"Eh?"

"Your. Right. Hand. Is. Bleeding. Are. You. Okay." There was a hint of annoyance in his voice now.

Sasuke lifted a hand from his side and examined it. No blood.

"Your other right," the ANBU member said. You could've seen him roll his eyes had he not been wearing a mask.

"Oh."

The ANBU member sighed. "You should clean it before it gets infected," he said before running off and leaving a slightly confused Sasuke staring at his palm.

* * *

"I bet you can't catch me!" Hinata said as she dashed off deeper into the woods. 

"We'll see!" Naruto screamed after her. He jumped up a tree and chased his fiancée (who was running- on foot) by leaping from branch to branch. Her midnight blue hair was too easy to discern against the forest's lush green plants.

Hinata turned her head to determine the distance between her and her pursuer, but was surprised to find that he wasn't there. _Hah, I must be going too fast for him!_ Hinata thought with a giggle. She suddenly collided with someone, causing both of them to fall over.

"Gotcha!" Naruto, who was currently pinned under Hinata, said with a grin.

The Hyuuga pouted then started to push herself off of him. But Naruto wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down, so her head was on his chest. "Just a little longer." His voice was deeper and more serious. He felt Hinata nod her head, and silence overcame the two.

Sasuke cleared his throat.

The blonde-haired boy opened his eyes and glared at the Uchiha. "You're too early Sasuke bastard!"

"Che," the other boy scoffed.

"I'm sorry, Hinata-chan. I promised to train with Sasuke (another glare) this morning," he said, scratching the back of his head and an apologetic smile graced his features.

"It's alright Naruto-kun. I have to go to work anyway," Hinata said, pushing herself off the boy and brushing off the dust on her shirt.

"Hey, you're injured," said Naruto, in a worried tone, taking note of her bandaged hand. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this, but decided against saying anything.

"Iie, it's nothing. Uhm. . . I'll be going now. Naruto-kun, I'll see you at the picnic this afternoon? Oh, and Uchiha-san can come, too, if he wants." She smiled, waved at the two and started walking towards Konoha Hospital.

"Ja, Hinata-chan! Don't forget the ramen!" the Kyuubi boy screamed happily.

"Tch."

* * *

A/N: See? Didn't I say it'll start making more sense? Ok, I know it's still a little confusing, but it should all get clearer in the following chapters. 

Please review! I live for them! (Not really, but they motivate me considerably) :D And no flames, please.


	3. Of Familiarity

**Disclaimer:** Until I win ownership to Naruto in some kind of lottery, assume that it's not mine.

**Author's Note:** This chapter's a bit longer than the other ones. But enjoy, nonetheless :D

A few things I want to point out:

- Past-Sasuke calls Hinata "Hina-chan", but Naruto calls her "Hinata-chan". I'm trying to show that Sasuke is (was) closer to her than Naruto is now. Platonically-speaking anyways. Muahaha:3

- I made a reference to a Japanese food, Gyudon, in this chapter. It's supposed to be some type of meal with rice and beef, I'm not entirely sure. :sweatdrops:

- Sasuke and Hinata haven't remembered the promise _yet, _because for one thing, it –was- about a decade ago. And Sasuke went through a type of mental breakdown (somewhat) when Itachi killed his family (who wouldn't?). Don't worry, though, someone's pretty much going to scream it at their faces :D

To my wonderful reviewers: Thank you so much! ;-; You're the ones motivating me to open Word and continue writing. Much love to all

* * *

"Hina-neechan, what's wrong with your hand?" a tiny voice said, interrupting Hinata's narrative and focusing the attention of the rest of the Hospital's children's room on her bandaged hand. 

Hinata quickly retracted her arms from the air and planted them on her lap. "It's nothing. I just cut myself." The children raised their eyebrows at this, some wore a horrified expression. "Not intentionally, of course! I was uh, preparing tea." She mentally smacked herself. _Preparing tea? Ugh, I'm horrible at lying. _Hinata silently hoped the children would buy it and let her go on with the story.

Unfortunately, the questions carried on. "Then why haven't you healed it yet? You healed the cut on my arm, remember?" another one piped out, his voice clearly showing concern.

"It's nothing, really," she said, waving her hands frantically in front of her.

"I think she needs to see Tsunade-obaachan," a red-haired child suggested, having inherited Naruto's nickname for the Hokage due to his numerous visits. The rest of the room murmured in agreement.

To be honest, Hinata had already thought of that, but decided that the Hokage was a very busy woman who certainly had more pressing matters than a simple cut. _Besides, she's a medic-nin for goodness' sake!_ Her train of thought instantly dissolved when she heard a slight _ding _from the back of the room, indicating it was time for the children's afternoon nap.

A unanimous groan filled the room.

* * *

(A/N: v.v Aelyth can't write a decent fight scene if her life depended on it. Sorry!) 

Alluring blue eyes were fixed onto the clearing below, its owner hidden atop a sturdy branch.

A dark blur suddenly flashed before him and Naruto took it as an opportunity to initiate attack. Leaping from the tree, he positioned a handful of shuriken between his fingers and nimbly threw them at his opponent. A _crack _was heard, then a sudden _poof, _revealing a log in place of his target. _Ah shit, _he thought. _How the hell did I fall for –that-? _He foolishly revealed himself, just when he had the upper hand, too. _The bastard's probably mocking me right now._ Naruto sighed and ruffled his hair in exasperation, racking his brain for a possible plan.

He heard a faint rustle behind him and spun. _Too late. _Sasuke had successfully tackled him onto the ground and firmly held a kunai against his neck. (A/N: What is it with me and pinning people down? xD No SasuNaru here, though.)

* * *

The corner of his mouth tugged into a smirk. "Dobe. . you should pay more attention to your surroundings," Sasuke said, standing up. "And what the hell? You fell for it. _Again_." 

"You just got lucky," Naruto huffed.

"You're just too stupid," Sasuke retorted. He placed the kunai back inside his pack and shrugged, "Hey, it's not my fault you lack common sense."

"Damn bastard. . ." he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Let's just go. Hinata-chan's probably waiting for us," he said, changing the subject.

"Us?"

"Yea. You _are _coming to the picnic aren't you?" Naruto shot him a glare. _Hinata worked hard for this, dammit!_

_Eh. Why the hell not? At least I won't be eating Gyudon for the third time in a row. _Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Ah, sure," he said, trying his best to sound apathetic.

"Good. Now help me up."

Sasuke reluctantly extended a hand to his teammate, who looked at it strangely. "You're injured, too? Geez, people today are so accident-prone," he remarked, indicating the slightly bloody bandage. "You should change the bandage, too, you know. It's gonna get infected," Naruto said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Sasuke fought the urge to hit him then.

* * *

"Oi! Hinata-chan!" Naruto said, waving at the Hyuuga and running towards her. 

Sasuke trudged behind him and observed his surroundings, keeping an annoyed look on his face.

It was the ideal weather for a picnic, he could say that much. The sun shone brightly, and wispy clouds filled the usually empty sky. The park, however, was filled with individuals who also wanted some time away from their missions and jobs at the village. _Oh shit._ A number of girls winked and pouted seductively as he passed by. _Why can't they just leave me alone? _Sasuke fought the childish urge to roll his eyes and continued walking. Fortunately for him, Hinata picked a rather secluded spot at the park's far edges. The picnic cloth was positioned underneath a full-grown Japanese Cherry tree. It'd work nicely as a shade, he thought, and its crimson leaves blended well with the sunset sky. _Why does it feel so familiar?_

"-chiha-san?" a quiet voice next to him said in a questioning tone.

"Huh?" he asked back, slightly flustered.

"I said, 'would you like something to eat, Uchiha-san?'" Hinata said, but deciding not to wait for his answer, she handed him a rice ball.

Sasuke mumbled a 'thanks' and nibbled on it indifferently. Hinata smiled at him in return.

". . . Where's Naruto?" he said, finally realizing the loud fox-boy has disappeared.

She raised an eyebrow. "Shino-kun came for him a few minutes ago. He said Hokage-sama was calling for him."

"Oh."

Hinata only nodded, the confused expression still on her face.

"So . . . you two are getting married?" Sasuke started, feeling somewhat awkward.

She nodded again. "In December. Naruto-kun and I decided we should do it on my birthday," Hinata said happily.

Not wanting to be engulfed in silence, he spoke again. "You've always liked him, haven't you?"

Hinata tried to keep herself from blushing; something she thought she'd mastered after all these years. Alas, a pink tinge worked its way up her face. "Was I that obvious?"

He snickered. "Only to everyone but himself."

"But Naruto-kun said he'd known it all along."

"Tch. The dobe's just trying to make himself look good."

Hinata giggled and Sasuke found himself smiling.

Thoughts danced in his head as he Hinata laughed. _Where have I heard that before? _Pushing the thoughts into the back of his mind, he stared at the now-pink-orange sky. And, as if taking revenge, unfamiliar scenes flashed before him.

_White. _He forced his eyes closed and spoke again.

"So when'd you start going out?"

"About five months ago," she answered, still recovering from her giggling fit.

His mouth turned into a slight frown. _Wasn't that . . . ? Wait, Naruto isn't like that . . . right? _He absently brushed off the thought before Hinata noticed the change in his expression.

* * *

After a week, the gash in his palm still refused to heal. The bleeding had stopped, but every few hours or so, pain would shoot up his arm, immobilizing it for quite some time. It really started to affect his ANBU performance. He'd gone to Tsunade about it just two days ago. And she said she'd look up on it and yet, still nothing. 

Naruto still haven't returned from his "mission" which made Hinata worry. And he'd find himself comforting her. Somewhat.

"Oi, Sasuke. Hokage-sama wants you to come up to her office." Nara Shikamaru said in a bored tone.

Sasuke tightened the knot on his bandage, then looked up at his fellow ANBU. "Now?"

"Yeah, it sounded pretty important," Shikamaru yawned. Then, seeing the hesitant look on his friend's face, he said, "Eh. Don't worry about it, I'll take over."

Sasuke nodded and left.

* * *

Tsunade paced around her room, stopping once in a while to look at the village from her balcony. Then a faint _click _was heard behind her 

"He's here, Tsunade-sama. Should I let him in?"

_Finally_. "Go ahead, Shizune."

"Hai."

An ANBU squad member entered. Taking off his wolf mask, he revealed himself as Sasuke.

He started, "Is this about the-"

"Sit!"

_Don't talk to me like that, I'm not a dog, _he thought, slightly annoyed. But he had enough sense not to say it out loud. Sasuke obeyed, nonetheless, and sat in a wooden chair situated before the Hokage's desk.

Tsunade sat across from him and rested her chin on her palm. "Yes, it's about your hand," she said in a surprisingly ominous voice. "But first, I'd you like you to answer a few questions before I confirm my assumption." She locked eyes with him, as if threatening him to act arrogant or smug.

Sasuke gulped and nodded dumbly. A smirk grew on her lips and she continued, "do you remember any instances of getting wounded in that particular spot?"

"No."

"When did the wound first appear?"

"About a week ago."

"Ah. And no blood?"

"It stopped bleeding after the first day. But became more painful as the days passed."

She nodded again and scribbled something on a clipboard. ". . . I think this pretty much confirms it."

* * *

**A/N:** A cliffie (Not really xD). But hey! At least one of them finds out :D Err. . . hopefully the plot isn't too farfetched and the characters aren't too OOC o.o; It'd help if you guys could point it out if they are.

BTW, I need a few ideas to help reform the relationship between Sasuke and Hinata while Naruto is still away :D

Ohohoh! When Sasuke says "white" after his little reminder thing, he's referring to the color of Hinata's eyes. :nod nod:

**Please review, everyone! It only takes a few minutes :D**


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